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September 14, 2013

This is Sanlitun [China, Robert I. Douglas, 3] Clueless prat comes from England to Beijing to make his fortune and win back his ex-wife and son. Mockumentary of expat life in owes its style to Ricky Gervais.

We Are the Best! [Sweden, Lukas Moodyson, 4] Trio of teen girl outsiders starts a punk band. Richly observant tribute to the twin powers of rock and girlhood.

It might just be that this was the movie I needed at this moment, but the above could well warrant a full upgrade to fave staus by the time of the final review round-up.

Why Don’t You Play In Hell? [Japan, Sion Sono, 4] Yakuza boss in a war with another clan wants his bad-ass daughter to be the lead in a finished movie in ten days, when his even more formidable wife gets out of prison. Gonzo cult comedy skewers unhinged film ambition as it builds to a jaw-dropping final act of slapstick hyper-violence.

I Am Yours [Norway, Iram Haq, 4] Aspiring actress (Amrita Acharia) pursues her yearning for sexual connection despite her duties as a joint-custodial parent and the condemnation of her Pakistani immigrant family. Raw-nerved drama, driven by a bravura performance, shows how much harder we find it to watch a female protagonist compelled to make self-destructive decisions.

You may know Acharia from her role in "Game of Thrones."

R100 [Japan, Hitoshi Matsumoto, 4] Matters go from kinky to sinister to surreal when a sad single dad enlists an S&M service to add dominatrix attacks to his everyday life. Starts as a mix of offbeat comedy and family drama, only to reveal successive new levels of batshit insanity.

About Me

Writer and game designer Robin D. Laws brought you such roleplaying games as Ashen Stars, The Esoterrorists, The Dying Earth, Heroquest and Feng Shui. He is the author of seven novels, most recently The Worldwound Gambit from Paizo. For Robin's much-praised works of gaming history and analysis, see Hamlet's Hit Points, Robin's Laws of Game Mastering and 40 Years of Gen Con.